What’s everyone’s most-avoided household task? Even less-liked than tackling the toilet bowl or fishing hair from the drain? Cleaning the oven, of course.
If you’re anything like us, you will likely shut the door as soon as possible so you don’t have to look at the baked-on brownish grease and unknowns coating the inside. Not naming names, but we know people who can’t face the job so they’ve never cleaned their ovens. Ever. Yes, really.
It doesn’t have to be that bad. To prove it, we went in search of those domestic oven-cleaning products that take the horror out of the ickiest square in your kitchen - and we were pleasantly surprised.
When choosing, the main point to keep in mind, aside from how well they actually clean, is safety. A lot of what makes most oven cleaners so good (except for a couple with plant-based ingredients) are the caustic chemicals, which means if they get on bare skin or – worse – in eyes, they can really cause damage. So, take sensible precautions before you begin. Always wear rubber gloves and protect nearby surfaces with newspaper. Make sure the room is well ventilated. Wear a mask and, if possible, safety goggles, available from most DIY stores.
What else is good to know? Well, how often is a good question to ask. Obviously, if your oven smokes when you use it, that’s a clear sign there’s probably a build-up of grease or other ickies inside. We know how much you dread the arduous task, but it really is much easier if you stay on top of the yucky stuff, so every three months is a good rule of thumb.
Check your cleaner before you begin to find out if it’s safe to use on rubber seals and glass doors, as the last thing you want is to create problems that will need sorting out later.
Finally, always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for use, including timing and whether the oven should be warm or cool. However, having said this, if you haven’t cleaned your oven for some time, you may find that whichever product you choose will have more of a fighting chance if you spray and leave it on overnight. It may still need a second going over, but once you get it all sparkling clean it will be easier to keep that way going forward if you stick to a regular cleaning schedule.
Best oven cleaners at a glance
- Best for ovens that have been ignored too long: Mr Muscle Oven Cleaner - £3.80, Amazon
- Best for making light work of truly gruesome ovens: Elbow Grease Oven Cleaner - £2.19, ASDA
- Best for easy oven cleaning: Oven Mate Cleaner - £16.99, Amazon
- Best for cold or warm oven cleaning: Dr Magic Oven and Grill Cleaner - £6.07, Amazon
- Best for when you’re in a rush: Kilrock Pro Oven & Grill Cleaner - £7.99, Amazon
- Best for serious de-greasing: Cif Professional Pro Formula Oven & Grill Cleaner - £7.45, Amazon
- Best for eco-conscious cleaning: Ecover Oven & Hob Cleaner Jasmine & Mandarin - £4, Amazon
- Best for if you want to use your oven right after cleaning: Bio Oven Cleaner - £34.99, Amazon
- Best for cleaning racks: Oven Pride Complete Cleaning Kit - £8.20, Amazon
- Best for if you like a nice smell to your cleaning products: Astonish Original Oven and Cookware Cleaner - £5.49, Amazon
- Best for cleaning BBQs: HG Oven, Grill & Barbecue Cleaner Spray - £6.50, Tesco
- Best for Miele oven-owners: Miele OvenClean - £19.16, Amazon
Shop the best oven cleaners below
Mr Muscle Oven Cleaner
Best for: ovens that have been ignored too long
An awesome cleaning action coupled up with an impressively budget-conscious price makes this our number-one when it comes to oven cleaners. An aerosol rather than spray action means you can be precise in where you aim it, getting into nooks and crannies with less risk of breathing in the fumes.
It’s for ovens only, so don’t be tempted to use it on your BBQ or microwave, and keep it off the rubber oven seal. Be warned: it works so well because it contains harsh caustic ingredients, but if your main objective is a clean oven, then this may be your best bet.
Buy now £3.80, Amazon
Elbow Grease Oven Cleaner
Best for: making light work of truly gruesome ovens
No more scrubbing to bring your oven back to shiny newness with this reliably good product. The main thing to remember for the best results is not to be tempted to wipe it off too soon. Leave the formula on for the recommended time and then, hey, presto, baked on grease really does just slide off. It’s good for cleaning racks and grills too, and doesn’t leave a smell behind to infect the taste of food. The kit comes with a handy pair of gloves and a plastic bag for putting the racks in, so you can submerge them in the cleaning fluid.
Buy now £2.19, ASDA
Oven Mate Cleaner
Best for: easy oven cleaning
Take the huff and puff out of oven cleaning with the clever gel consistency of this product, which helps to keep it attached to the sides of your oven while it works. It comes with a brush for applying the formula, so you can squidge it into corners and crevices. There’s also a separate, more liquid version for cleaning your racks and a good, large-size bag (approx 50 x 70cm) to put your racks in, though you can also put them in the sink. It has literally no scent at all and really does works a treat. Can be used on BBQ grills too.
Buy now £16.99, Amazon
Dr Magic Oven and Grill Cleaner
Best for: cold or warm oven cleaning
This oven cleaning product stands out in the crowd as it can be used on a cold oven and will give good results in less than an hour. Just spray it on, shut the door to keep the smell in, and go have a cup of tea and put your feet up. When you come back, armed with paper towels and a bowl of warm water, just wipe the gunk away and rinse clean. Alternatively, turn the oven to 100°C and it will do the work in about half an hour. It’s great on grills and racks too.
Buy now £6.07, Amazon
Kilrock Pro Oven & Grill Cleaner
Best for: when you’re in a rush
Keep it local with this made-in-Britain brand. It foams up in a satisfying sort of way when you spray it on and, though it claims to work in just five minutes, we found we got a better result if it was left to work a bit longer. It does the job on the oven glass as well as the oven itself, the racks, BBQs and grills. A good one to use on a regular basis to keep everything shiny and sparkling. Since it works so quickly, it’s no big deal to give your oven a quick once over every week or so.
Buy now £7.99, Amazon
Cif Professional Pro Formula Oven & Grill Cleaner
Best for: serious de-greasing
Very easy to use – just squirt about and leave for the recommended half hour, then wipe off with a damp cloth and, hey, presto, clean oven. It says it’s for pros and we can see why. It really does work remarkably well, and cut through a yucky grease puddle we’d been trying to ignore for a several days with ease. It also has the benefit of being non-corrosive and non-irritating, so if you do get a bit on your skin, it’s not a panic situation. It doesn’t have an overpowering smell either, so you won’t get fumed out.
Buy now £7.45, Amazon
Ecover Oven & Hob Cleaner Jasmine & Mandarin
Best for: eco-conscious cleaning
The Ecover brand hails from Belgium in a bid to provide an alternative to cleaning products that were harming the environment. That was over 40 years ago and it has been making plant-based cleaning products ever since.
Phosphate-free and kind to the earth, the bottle is made entirely from recycled plastic, the trigger from 30 per cent recycled plastic and the whole shebang can be recycled again. It is also manufactured in a zero-waste factory and is even vegan-friendly.
We didn’t find it was the toughest weapon against baked-on debris, but for regular use, before things go too far, it’s great. Plus, you can use it on the hob too. Bonus: it smells good - all sweet and flowery - and there’s nothing fumey about this stuff.
Buy now £4.00, Amazon
Dirtbusters Bio Oven Cleaner
Best for: if you want to use your oven right after cleaning
Since this is a non-toxic oven cleaner with no nasty fumes or strong chemicals, you can use your oven right away after you’ve cleaned it. It has a nice lemony smell and wipes off easily with a damp cloth or sponge.
Its clever components are tough on carbon, so you can use it to clean burnt dishes, pots and pans, as well as the top of your stove, BBQs, grills, racks and oven fans. The packaging can be recycled and the actual product is biodegradable, so you won’t be doing any harm to the environment no matter how often you use it.
Price for 5L.
Buy now £34.99, Amazon
Oven Pride Complete Cleaning Kit
Best for: cleaning racks
Although it’s nothing to do with how well it cleans, this oven cleaner comes in a wonderfully retro-looking box that’s somehow reassuring. It’s billed as a kit and comes with a bag to put racks in, gloves and the oven cleaner itself. It’s also stuffed with a fairly toxic cleaning agent, which means it will do the job, but you need to be careful. It’s especially effective on those tricky baked-on brown stains on oven racks. You put the cleaning solution in the bag with the racks, slosh it around and then leave for an hour. It’s pretty impressive how shiny they come out, but do give them a thorough rinse before using again.
Buy now £8.20, Amazon
Astonish Original Oven and Cookware Cleaner
Best for: if you like a nice smell to your cleaning products
It’s always tempting to take a scourer to baked-on fat and food inside an oven, and Astonish lets you finally give in to this desire. It comes with a rough-sided sponge that you scoop some of the oven cleaning product up with and then start working onto the inside of your oven, including any glass on the door.
Once you’ve had a good go, let it rest for a few minutes to do its work and then wipe off with the smooth side of the supplied sponge. What makes this one stand out from the crowd is that you can also use it on stove tops, pans, ovenware and even sinks and tiles, removing grease and burnt-on stains.
Buy now £5.49, Amazon
HG Oven, Grill & Barbecue Cleaner Spray
Best for: cleaning BBQs
This is an effective oven cleaner, but it definitely makes a difference if you follow the instructions, which include using it on a warm oven. The manufacturer suggests the floor of the oven be at least 30°C. It works best on grease, cutting through so you can see the shine underneath, and on barbecues. As with many oven cleaning products, be sure to glove up before using and rinse any splashes with plenty of water.
Buy now £6.50, Tesco
Miele OvenClean oven cleaner
Best for: Miele oven-owners
A bit of a niche one, but if you own a Miele oven, then you’ll know you’re only meant to clean it with soapy water – or Miele’s own oven cleaning product, OvenClean. However, we tested it out on a non-Miele oven and it worked just fine.
The product is completely odourless, which is actually pleasant. It can be used on a cold oven and worked after just 10 minutes, taking away the unidentifiable brown stuff at the bottom. Just a wipe away with a damp cloth, followed by a rinse with a wet cloth and it was gone. Like magic.
Buy now £19.16, Amazon
Pure-Tek Oven Cleaner
Best for: budget conscious cleaners
This is one that’s safe to use on all sorts of surfaces, including ceramic, cast iron, glass oven doors, rubber seals, grills and oven racks. The Pure-Tek spray-on oven cleaner has a foaming action that clings to surfaces. It works quickly – in just five minutes – and powerfully (so remember to cover up) though you may have to repeat the application for uber tough stains.
It comes in a really big bottle – a whopping 960ml – so you’ll have plenty of it for the money and can be generous about lathering up. In fact, once you get going, you may not want to stop with just the oven. You may find yourself taking it out to the garden and giving the BBQ a good going over as well.
Buy now £9.99, Amazon
